Let’s burn our 10 inner Ravanas, this Dusshera

Victory of Good over Evil – isn’t that what we say and associate Dusshera with when we talk about Rama’s victory over Ravana? We burn his humongous dummies and celebrate the victory of good. But is that it? Really?

Do we not know that Ravana still exists? It exists in you, or may be your brother, or your grandfather or the guy who sat next to you in the train, or may be that pizza delivery boy…?

1. Lust – Rape

From a 2 year old girl to a 50 years old woman, from a granddaughter to a distant aunt, from the girl working at a construction site to a girl working in a big MNC – literally, no one is safe from this Ravana of Lust. Lighting a candle at India Gate won’t help. At least educated men have to take responsibility along with all female population to ensure women safety. A woman’s dressing – let’s not even go there! A woman dressed in ‘Bhurkha’ that covers her from head to toe, eyes, has been subjected to rape too. Let’s all decide to not blame women’s dressing as a reason for getting raped and burn the Ravana of Lust this Dusshera.Source

2. Anger – Domestic violence

Anger is a sort of ‘bad’ excitement which leads to arguments, beating your spouse and kids until they are black and blue, and killing. Satyamave Jayatev’s episode dedicated to domestic violence says ‘Danger at Home’ – Do we realize that home, which we all think is the safest place could be a place of terror, beating and blood for a few? Let’s all speak out and help all we know are going through domestic violence and burn the Ravana of Anger (Domestic Violence).

Thanks to a few NGOs which work towards the elimination of dowry system. But do we not know that even if the groom’s party hasn’t asked for anything, the bride’s side ensure that they get car, furniture, electronics and cash for the wedding. Isn’t this an indirect way of ensuring that their daughters don’t go through what they all read in the newspapers, burning brides? Yes, this is dowry, too. Let’s all put our feet down and say no to big gifts for our weddings. It will be better if daughters get their share of property from her parents to ensure she has got something for her survival during bad times.

Sex selection on the basis of stupid reasons – 1. Boys can earn for the family. 2. With a girl the parents will have to give dowry 3. They can demand dowry if they have a boy in the family.

Seriously? If you won’t have girls around, how would you take your family’s legacy forward? Just FYI readers, over 3 crore unborn girls have been killed in India since independence. I am so ashamed knowing that this has been happening since our early days of development.

We have heard of murders, injustice, bad treatment at work, school, colleges, homes and on the streets. Let’s all sort our issues within and accept each other with an open heart. Let’s work towards what we don’t have. No stealing or killing! This is one Ravana who resides in each one of us; let’s promise to burn it, this Dusshera.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals in India are in the danger of being imprisoned up to a lifetime because of their sexual orientation. I don’t get it! A person born with six fingers can survive in our country; a boy born with grey eyes can go to the college, but a person ‘born’ with different orientation has to be either single or has to go through stupid comments and jokes in the society? To hell with your so-called selfish rules, government! Let’s burn this Ravana as soon as we can, people! Help my friends.

Some kids at this hour are being abused by their relatives at home, at school, by their neighbors, or by their caretakers. Well, we all know such cases mostly go unreported. Let’s all be a little careful, if we have kids in our house, educate them about what is a right touch and what is a wrong touch and burn those Ravanas.